Friday, January 28, 2011

Well, I spent a lot more than I realized this week.
I ended the month about $2 over budget.
But,.....I have a supply of wipes that might just last me the year.

Walmart, Aldi, Shoprite and Rite Aid. We were completely out of cream cheese, bananas, pull-ups, and plastic wrap. I've been trying to eat more salad and the dressings (low fat or fat free) help keep me on top of that goal. The ham was just around $6 at Aldi!

More wipes at Shoprite. The organic milk was a great deal at 80c on markdown and everything else was free after coupons!

Free Milk CAT from last week's cereal deals at Stop & Shop. I also had a $2 off any Kleenex CAT that made those just the cost of tax!

No remarkable sales at Adams, but we needed eggs and the squash was 99c/lb.

More freebies and wipes at Shoprite, plus a bag of oranges (4lbs) for $1.99!

I can spot an odd sound a mile away. So, last weekend, when I heard what sounded like running water, I headed to the second bath to investigate what I assumed would be a faucet left running by a toddler. I was shocked to find a burst pipe spraying water all over the bathroom. My husband immediately shut off the valve and we cleaned up the water. My keen sense of hearing helped me discover a problem that could have caused much damage had it not been detected right away. Another reason to pay attention to your surroundings.

Monday, January 17, 2011

So, I haven't been posting menu plans lately because we haven't really been following a "firm" plan. It just doesn't seem to work for us these days. I assure you we have been eating :)
Here's an idea for the upcoming week of how our menus work:

Monday- cook something with enough leftovers for Tuesday. Monday is one of the more relaxed days in our home, so there is some time for more involved preparations.Tuesday- Monday's leftovers with a new veggie if necessary (If there aren't enough leftovers this becomes Pizza night since we found a local pizzeria that sells $5.55 pies on Tuesday. This is also the night I work LATE, so easy is the game plan.)Wednesday- cook something easy and quick: fish, hot dogs, easy chicken recipes, sausage and try for enough to have leftovers for Thursday. These are two more busy days in our home!Thursday- leftovers or something easy, again!Friday, Saturday, and Sunday- We reserve these days for meals that require a little more prep. One night is often leftovers. I particularly enjoy cooking these days with my husband and sometimes the kids even help.

I've learned accepted the fact that I can not cook "gourmet" meals every night or even most nights and this is ok as long as there is balance in our meals.

Friday, January 14, 2011

All in all this week was a good one. Between the free Special K and cheap lean cuisines I am working toward my goal of healthier buying within the budget.

Total Spending Week 2 = $43.09

Total Savings Week 2 = $263.62 or 86%

Total Spending Weeks 1&2 = $65.37

Total Savings Week 1&2 = $413.27 or 86%

The month is definitely off to a great start. In keeping with my goal to eat better on this budget, I'm planning on purchasing some more "diet" frozen meals next week at Shoprite. I normally wait for these to be 25-30c, but even at 59c I'm going to pick up several! It might end up putting my budget a little over, but in the long run I know it will be good for the belly!

What’s more fun than a birthday party? An Un-usual, Unbirthday Party! Join us in celebrating everyone’s un-birthday and to learn about our Teen Advisory Group (TAG). In the spirit of Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, we’ll celebrate an ordinary day as if it was our birthday. Decorate your un-birthday cupcake, play flamingo golf, have a Mad Hatter tea party, and find out about being part of our TAG. Find out how with TAG you can earn community service credit, have a say about what the library offers, hang out with other teens, and enjoy free food. Registration is preferred. GRADES 6 and up welcome. Contact: Jennifer Lombardo 845-691-2275 ext. 16 jlombardo@highlandlibrary.org

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

When your stockpile looks like Andy Warhol's art it can be difficult to make sure you are not letting food expire and thus go to waste.

Here's how I stay on top of things with only a few minutes here and there.

1. Group like items.

I have regular pantry, closet pantry, garage storage, underbed storage and extra bath storage. Each area stores specific items based on convenience and purpose. This will obviously vary for each family.

2. Rotate stock as you add new items.

For things like cereal, which I bring home often, I rotate every few months. For items I purchase every few months, I rotate as I bring them home.

3. Establish a place to store soon to expire items.

I like to move these items to my counter, which forces me to use them up or look at them every day.

4. Establish a NEED list as you rotate your stock.

Certain items in my stockpile are extras that I picked up only because they were free or VERY cheap. Other items are staples in my home and if I am running low they will need to be replaced even if they are not on sale. Keeping any eye on the low stock can help prevent paying full price even if the item is not rock bottom.

Directions

In a large non-reactive bowl, prepare marinade by mixing the lemon juice, onions, salt, pepper, mustard and minced chile. Place the chicken pieces in the marinade, making sure that they are all well covered. Cover and marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.Remove the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade and onions, and add to large dutch oven or other pan with heated peanut oil. Once chicken is lightly browned on each side, remove it from the pan and set aside. Then remove the onions from the marinade and cook them slowly until tender and translucent. Add the reserved marinade. When the liquid is thoroughly heated, add the chicken pieces, olives, carrots, and water. Stir to mix well, then bring the yassa slowly to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over rice.

The storm forecast for our area has been back and forth between 2 inches of snow and 9 inches of snow. I didn't want to chance the bad roads, so I ventured out for some necessities (diapers and milk). I ran to Toys R Us to pick up some of the inexpensive Earth's Best diapers (all the blogs were buzzing about that yesterday) and then to Shoprite to use up some Qs and CATS. I headed to the milk case and was pleasantly surprised to find milk with close sell-by-dates marked down to 87c. Yes, I am excited about 87c/gallon milk and I had to share with someone!!!

I rarely find great markdowns in my local Shoprite, but it pays to keep your eyes open!

Enter to win the prize of the week in any of our three stores, starting Friday, January 7. All entrants for the weekly prize will be eligible for the Grand Prize Drawing of $1,000 in groceries!
No purchase necessary.

January 7th Prize: A $100 Adams Gift Card Items may vary per store. One will be given away in each store.
Drawing for this weekly prize will be held January 13.
No purchase necessary.

About Me

Frugality in the Hudson Valley is about living in this beautiful part of New York without breaking the bank. I hope to help inspire you to choose how you spend and save money wisely. I love the thrill of a great deal, but even more than that I love knowing that we are living within our means and passing on our good fortunes to those in need around us.